Guide to UMass Amherst Housing

My on-campus housing journey started when I transferred to UMA as a sophomore in 2021. Ecstatic about living independently for the first time, I immediately researched Youtube videos and Reddit posts to scavenge any information about the various housing areas. Finding the built environment that best suited my personality and needs was imperative to my mental and physical health. Unfortunately, like many other college students, I couldn't find much information or visuals on the dorms I was interested in. In this article, I will share my experience with UMA dorms from 2021-2023 to give you a better understanding of which dorm to choose.

Northeast - Hamlin Hall

My first year at UMA was in Hamlin Hall, part of the Northeast Residential Area. Like many other Northeast dorms, the convenient location and relaxing vibes of Hamlin Hall are what make it unique.

You are a short walk from two dining halls, most lecture halls (Engineering, Public Health, Comp-sci, etc.), and the campus center. Hamlin Hall and several other Northeast dorms are considered first-year dorms where only freshmen and new transfer students can reside. Socializing can be easy during the first few months when your RA hosts floor meetings. The basement has plenty of washers and dryers, a tv, vending machines, a private bathroom, a ping pong table, and a pool table, all accessible anytime. The room dimensions are pretty standard at around 15 ft x 12.5 ft (187.5 sq.ft), providing enough space for you and your roommate.

There are a couple negatives to consider when choosing Hamlin Hall. Northeast dorms are some of the oldest on campus meaning the building systems aren't updated or well-maintained. Steam-based radiators and water temperatures are either molten hot or freezing cold. The building also has extremely low ceilings which can be bothersome to people taller than 6 feet.

Hamlin Hall is an excellent first-year dorm with a fantastic location and interesting people. I highly recommend living here if you are looking for a quieter area and want to be close to many dining and lecture halls.

Southwest - Prince Hall

My second year at UMA was in Prince Hall, part of the Southwest Residential Area. Like many other Southwest dorms, Prince Hall is far from most classes but is close to Hampshire and Berkshire Dining Hall.

You are a short walk from two dining halls, a medium walk from the recreation center, and a long walk from most classes. Prince Hall is a multi-year dorm with break housing for students who need to stay over short breaks. The majority of students in Prince Hall are student-athletes and international students. This makes sense as these students typically don't have a place to stay in Boston or central Massachusetts like most in-state students during the breaks. Although not impossible, socializing is somewhat tricky since the dorm is mainly international students who usually hang around their own friend groups. The basement in this dorm has plenty of dryers and washers as well but not much else considering there are a lot of dorms down there. Pool tables, vending machines, tv, and private bathrooms can be found on the first floor near the common areas. The main benefit of Prince Hall is the room size. The typical room here is 18.3 ft x 12 ft (219.6 sq.ft), larger than most dorms at UMA. Each room has a huge window and a small window that both bring in abundant natural light (not for north-facing dorms). My roommate and I got the corner room which has an additional window and is 18.3 ft x 15.3 ft at its widest point.

The biggest drawback of Prince Hall is its distance from basically everything else. It is a 15-20 minute walk from most lecture halls and the campus center. Southwest is on the very edge of campus while the other residential areas are much closer to the center. Many Southwest dorms have a notorious party culture. This means plenty of parties at night, loud noises and music, and sometimes waking up to vomit on the bathroom floor.

Prince Hall is a great multi-year break housing dorm if you are an international student, student-athlete, or partier. If you do not like partying, loud noises, and the occasional vomit, I would strongly suggest looking elsewhere.

Sylvan - Brown Hall

My third and final year at UMA will be at Brown Hall, part of the infamous Sylvan Residential Area. The Sylvan Residential Area is much different from the other residential areas because it has suite living. Every suite is formatted the same which includes three double bedrooms, two single bedrooms, a common room, and a shared bathroom. I have not yet lived in this dorm but I have plenty of close friends that do.

You are a short walk from Northeast and Orchard Hill Residential Areas, a medium walk from two dining halls, and a medium-long walk from most classes. Brown Hall is a multi-year dorm which has a very diverse mix of students. There are plenty of first-year, international, junior, and senior students. Socializing can either be super easy or super challenging. Since each suite is isolated from the others (locked unless you have the corresponding key), you will often spend most of your time interacting with your 7 suitemates. If your suitemates are friendly and kind, then congratulations. If your suitemates are rowdy and rude, then you are in for a very disappointing academic year. The basement in this dorm is huge and has all the same amenities as Hamlin hall but larger since it accommodates more students. The main benefit of living in Brown Hall is what I like to call “Suite-Sweeping”. You and your friends can make up to a group of up to 8, and sweep an entire suite for yourselves. This way you know every suitemate and you'll have more freedom with noise levels and partying. You also share the bathroom with only your suitemates rather than the entire floor making it feel more private and comfortable.

The main downside of Sylvan and the reason it is infamous is the room size and architectural design. The room sizes are all the same with doubles being around 15 ft x 10 ft (150 sq.ft). Although much better than no housing at all, it is much smaller than the average dorm and can feel claustrophobic at times. The lack of natural sunlight and exterior architecture makes it look like a bunch of abandoned prisons. Brown Hall and other Sylvan dorms are located on top of a steep hill which is troublesome to walk up and down, especially during the winter season. Having terrible suitemates is the worst as you share a confined space with them for a whole year and it can ruin your entire college experience.

I suggest Brown Hall if it is your only choice at on-campus housing, or if you and your friends want to take over an entire suite for yourselves.

Conclusion

There are a wide variety of residential areas to choose from at UMA and I only covered three of them. The other residential areas are Central, Orchard Hill, North Apartments, and the Honors College. My favorite residential area has to be Northeast. Northeast best suits my personality and needs as it is chill and quiet but sociable at the same time. A lot of STEM majors reside here due to the proximity of their classes and dining halls. Southwest and Sylvan have their perks but their negatives far outweigh their positives in my opinion. Hamlin Hall was great but Thatcher Hall was my ideal Northeast dorm since it is similar to my last name and has larger rooms. One last thing I want to mention is that UMA has a serious housing crisis and you need to take this into serious consideration when deciding to commit. Freshman and sophomores are guaranteed on-campus housing but many juniors and seniors are now struggling. With the increase of admitted students, UMA does not have the infrastructure to house everyone and instead of rapidly building more, they have decided to make seniors and juniors move off-campus. Fortunately, my housing priority number was good so I was able to secure a double-room at Sylvan. I know many juniors and seniors who can't find on or off campus housing. With that being said, decent academics and affordability of this university is hard to beat especially if you want the on-campus college experience.